1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device and a method for communication between a portable computer system and avionic equipment items. It applies especially to the areas of air transports and in particular deals with use of a very high output wireless technology between the information system of the airplane and a portable terminal used by a pilot or a maintenance operator. This terminal can be, for example, a portable computer, a tablet-type computer (“tablet PC”), a personal digital assistant (“PDA”) or a removable monitor.
2. Discussion of the Background
Portable terminals of EFB type (acronym for “Electronic Flight Bag” or electronic flight bag) nowadays are connected by wire to the airplane systems, and this for several reasons. It is a matter, on the one hand, of keeping their performances satisfactory, for example in terms of video link of the EFB to a fixed screen of the airplane; on the other hand, of taking security constraints into account (a physical connection makes it possible to avoid any risk of attack (“hacking”) between the terminal and the system of the airplane. Furthermore, it is a matter of preventing problems of electromagnetic interferences. In fact, the power levels of a WiFi link (acronym for “Wireless Fidelity” for fidelity without wire), which is the technology most considered nowadays for this type of application, make an in-flight use difficult.
Very high output point-to-point links, for example of WPAN type (acronym for “Wireless Personal Area Network” for a local personal network without wire), of UWB type (acronym for “Ultra Wide Band” for ultra wide band), are not used in this type of applications, but rather to interconnect peripherals of personal computers or PDA with each other, or for example to interconnect multimedia systems without wiring. Other technologies can be used, such as, for example, wireless USB, or “WUSB” (acronym for “Wireless Universal Serial Bus” for universal serial bus without wire).